Open Arms Adoptions

Open Arms Adoptions works with women in crisis over an unplanned pregnancy as well as families hoping to adopt newborn babies. During the past fiscal year, due to the closure of an Ohio agency who focused strictly on children with significant medical diagnoses, oaa has also begun providing similar services to women/couples whose infants are diagnosed (either prenatally or at birth) with complex medical conditions. Oaa provides pre and post- adoption counseling, case management services and education services regarding options and Ohio rules and regulations surrounding adoption. Additionally, we gather information necessary to complete a report of social/medical background information related to birth families. We assume custody of children voluntarily placed with us for adoption and facilitate an adoptive placement. Open Arms works with birth parents and adoptive parents on creating a plan all are comfortable with and that meets the needs of each individual child. For adopting families, we provide ongoing support and post-placement services as well as assistance with finalizing Adoptions once the statutory time period has passed. During fye 6.30.22, we provided services to over 75 expectant/birth parents, resulting in 18 adoptive placements. Of those, 5 were infants with significant medical needs. Our goals for fye 6.30.23 include increasing outreach to professionals who may be treatment women in need of our services. We continue to see a large number of women being referred to out-of-state adoption agencies who are unfamiliar with Ohio adoption rules and regulations and who are unable to provide the level of support we believe to be essential to our clients.

Open Arms Adoptions provides both pre-services and ongoing raining to foster and adoptive parents. Our pre-service training exceeds that which is required by Ohio rules and adoptive parents and for licensed foster parents. This training program focuses on attachment and trauma-based parenting strategies designed to assist families with the healing their children need. Additionally, we offer opportunities on at least a monthly basis for families to meet their continuing education requirements.

Open Arms Adoptions provides a full range of services to families hoping to adopt from the foster care system. Specifically, we provide families with education and homestudy services to assist in preparing families to adopt from foster care. We search both within Ohio as well as throughout the us in an attempt to "match" families with children whose needs they are able to meet. Open Arms provides support, case management, referral and other services necessary to families as they transition children into their homes as well as for a minimum of 6 months following placement (most longer). During fye 6.30.22, oaa assisted in the placement of 15 children from foster care into their permanent families. This includes the placement of 5 sibling groups.